News:

Your username and password for these discussion forums are unique to the forums. Your forum login information is separate from your My Adventure Cycling login information. Also, please note that your login information for the forums is not connected to your Adventure Cycling membership number. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

We have blocked registrations from several countries because of the large quantities of spam that originate there. If the forum denies your legitimate registration, please ask our administrator for an exception. Send an email to webmaster@adventurecycling.org and we will follow up with you.

Messages - Hancock

I have a Light and Motion Urban 180 headlight that malfunctioned for more than 12 hours after the first time I used it in the rain. The light seems to be working properly now, but I wouldn't trust it for anything beyond commuting to and from work, which is a short distance for me. I wouldn't trust it at all for any touring.

Can anyone suggested a bike-mounted headlight that can stand up to the elements? I am most interested in rechargeable LED headlights but would consider any light that can stand up to the weather.

Thanks, John. I wasn't equating horizontal top tubes with good touring bikes. My point was that the bikes looked as though they might make good touring bikes and they happened to have what I consider a traditional frame: a frame with a horizontal top tube as opposed to the downward sloping top tube that generally didn't exist for most of my life.

Thanks for the history on this particular brand. I'm not nearly as excited about it now.

Does anyone here know or have any experience with a make or model bike called LeMond? I saw two today while I was riding around Arlington. They looked like potentially good touring bikes. They had a traditional diamond frame--by which I mean the top tube was horizontal...it didn't slope downward. They had drop handlebars. They looked as though they'd been through a lot but held up well. I've searched online, but the only Lemond stuff I see is mostly fitness related--trainers.

As for saving money, one trick is to immediately save at least 10 percent of any amount of money that comes into your hands. The nice thing about 10 percent is that it's small enough that anyone should be able to do it with any amount of money. A 10 percent set-aside is small enough that it generally won't take a significant bite out of your gotta-to-live-life-and-pay-bills capital.

Some financial advice I once read put it this way: Whenever some money comes into your hands, you should immediately pay the most important bill you have to pay ahead of all others: your own savings account. If you keep it to 10 percent of whatever money you just netted, you'll be able to do it religiously.

An important element in the 10 percent trick is patience and a long-term, big-picture view of things.

As for time off, asking for leave without pay is a great option if you can be sure to have your job when you return.

Nearly all of the posts in this corner of the A.C.A. forums appear to be two and three years old, so I don't know whether this area is relevant or active now. If so, I might be able to volunteer in some way in Washington, D.C.

I grew up in the area and I know the James River Bridge and the Scotland Wharf ferry very well. I would avoid the bridge at all costs. It's a drawbridge, and drivers simply won't expect cyclists on the bridge. Plus, the approach to the draw is a decent climb; the draw itself is metal grating that has little traction and always freaks me out when I'm in a car. On top of all that, you'll have to deal with Jefferson Avenue, Mercury Boulevard, and other high-traffic thoroughfares...the ride would be anything but pleasant.

The ferry, on the other hand, is a short but scenic ride and an uber tradition in that part of Virginia. That whole route is much more enjoyable than anything you'll see going through the major arteries in Hampton and Newport News.

Many thanks to everyone for the guidance. Everything you've all suggested helps, and I've come to realize that I need to learn a lot more about the makes and models. To be honest, I didn't realize I'd selected a spread ranging from well under $1,000 to possibly more than $4,000.

I will most likely go with the Trek 520 or the Raleigh Sojourn as a starting point. I figure this is likely to become a lifelong passion, so I might as well start there and see where it goes.

I aim to take my first extended (i.e., at least a week) bike tour in April 2013. Between now and then, I want to get a first-rate touring bike. Is anyone here familiar with--for better or worse--any of these models:

From what I've seen around the Web, any one of these bikes ought to be an excellent choice. I'd appreciate any thoughts from anyone who might know these models or some other models to consider.

If it helps in understanding my current reference point, I have a three-speed (internal hub gearing) Trek BelleVille (which I call my short-range heavy bomber or my M1 Abrams...depending on my mood) and a hybrid Raleigh Detour City Sport that has three in front and nine in back.

I'm sure this sort of question gets posted a lot on the forums; if there's a better spot for this, please let me know. Also, I'm aware that A.C.A. has a buyer's guide; I plan to study that in depth.